231 - Association of Caregiver Oral Health Literacy with Child Patients' DMFT and Frankl Indices

Title: Association of Caregiver Oral Health Literacy with Child Patients’ DMFT and Frankl Indices

Authors: Davis J* and Sayegh M

Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if there is a correlation between a caregiver’s oral health literacy (OHL) and the child’s DMFT index. The secondary objective of this study is to assess if there is a correlation between caregiver OHL and their child’s experience at the dentist, captured by provider Frankl evaluation.

Methods: Surveys will be given to parents of healthy children (ASA I/II), 6 years of age and under, that present for new patient or recall exams at Montefiore Medical Center Pediatric Dental Clinics. Each parent will answer multiple choice questions regarding socio-demographic information and dental literacy. Completed surveys will be returned to the provider in a sealed envelope. Each provider will place the patient’s DMFT and Frankl scores on the outside of the envelope for analysis.

 

Results: 102 patients and caregiver surveys from Montefiore Pediatric Dental Clinics were evaluated by dental residents over a four month period. 18% of parents identified as under 20 years of age, 41% between the age of 20-30 years old, and 41% greater than 30 years old. The majority of parents identified as Hispanic (42%), followed by Black (31%), White (20%), and other (6.9%). Of the children being evaluated, 42% of the children evaluated were under 3 years old and 58% were between the ages of 3-6 years old. Of the children evaluated, providers rated most as Frankl 4 (43%), followed by Frankl 3 (27%), Frankl 1 (17%) and Frankl 2 (13%), with an average DMFT score of 4. Parents had an average OHL score of 5.5 out of 10.

 

Discussion: The results indicate:
1. There is a negative correlation between caregiver’s oral health literacy (OHL), as assessed by OHL score, and children’s DMFT score: r=-0.61, 95%CI (-0.73, -0.44); p < 0.001.
2. There is a positive correlation between caregiver’s oral health literacy (OHL), as assessed by OHL score, and child’s experience at the dentist, as captured by provider Frankl evaluation: r= 0.63, 95%CI (0.46, 0.75); p < 0.001.

 

Conclusion: 1. There is a positive relationship between a caregivers oral health literacy and a child’s oral health. Higher caregiver oral health knowledge is associated with fewer dental caries. 2. There is a positive relationship between a caregivers oral health literacy and a child’s experience at the dental office. Higher caregiver oral health knowledge results in better child behavior during the dental visit.